A Roy DeCarava print took the top lot honors at the recent Fine Photographs sale at Swann last week in New York. With a respectable overall Buy-In rate (under 22%) and a number of positive surprises, the Total Sale Proceeds (of just over $900K) came in just below the low end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 236 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | $902200 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | $1352000 |
| Total Lots Sold | 185 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 51 |
| Buy In % | 21.61% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | $900067 |
Here is the breakdown (using our typical Low, Mid, and High price range definitions):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 215 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 169 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 46 |
| Low Buy In % | 21.40% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | $918000 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | $635317 |
| Mid Total Lots | 19 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 14 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 5 |
| Mid Buy In % | 26.32% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | $314000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | $187250 |
| Total High Lots | 2 |
| Total High Lots Sold | 2 |
| Total High Lots Bought In | 0 |
| High Buy In % | 0.00% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | $120000 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | $77500 |
The top lot by High estimate was tied between two lots, both estimated at $40000-60000: lot 26, Robert Mapplethorpe, Double Jack in the Pulpit, 1988, and lot 52, Roy DeCarava, Hallway, New York, 1953. The Mapplethorpe print sold at $27500, while the DeCarava print was the top outcome of the sale at $50000 (image above, via Swann).
71.89% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there were a total of 10 positive surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate)(images above via Swann):
Lot 35, (Dirigibles in New York City), 17 photographs of dirigibles in the NYC skies over Manhattan, 1920s-40, estimated at $600-900, sold at $2750
Lot 70, Doris Ulmann, Spinner, 1932-34, estimated at $2000-3000, sold at $6000
Lot 90, (Gilman Collection), Photographs from the Collection of the Gilman Paper Company, 1985, estimated at $2500-3500, sold at $11250
Lot 124, Man Ray, Portrait of Andree Wildenstein, c1935/1960s, estimated at $1000-1500, sold at $3250
Lot 140, Mike Mandel, Complete set of 134 Baseball Photographer Trading Cards, 1975, estimated at $2000-3000, sold at $22500
Lot 141, Mary Beth Edelson, Calling: Goddess Head, Montauk, 1975, estimated at $700-1000, sold at $2375
Lot 150, André Kertész, Distortion #6, 1933/1960s, estimated at $2000-3000, sold at $7500
Lot 165, Grete Stern & Ellen Auerbach, Ringl + Pit Fotografie Portfolio, 1929-33/1985, estimated at $5000-7000, sold at $16250
Lot 171, Richard Avedon, Dovima in Balenciaga, 1950s, estimated at $5000-7500, sold at $17500
Lot 178, Irving Penn, Model in white feathered head piece (Nadja Auermann), c1994, estimated at $2000-3000, sold at $11250
The complete lot by lot results can be found here.
